national 1 of 2

as in federal
of or relating to a nation played the home team's national anthem before the start of the soccer game

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

national

2 of 2

noun

as in citizen
a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it recommended that foreign nationals living in the region evacuate immediately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word national distinct from other similar nouns?

The words citizen and subject are common synonyms of national. While all three words mean "a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state," national designates one who may claim the protection of a state and applies especially to one living or traveling outside that state.

American nationals working in the Middle East

When can citizen be used instead of national?

The synonyms citizen and national are sometimes interchangeable, but citizen is preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people.

the rights of a free citizen

In what contexts can subject take the place of national?

The words subject and national can be used in similar contexts, but subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.

the king's subjects

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of national
Adjective
The feed then goes to the CW’s main national control in Atlanta, then out to TVs and streaming devices. Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Local, national and global media outlets this week seized on the opportunity to report Zuckerberg's lawsuit against Meta. John Tufts, IndyStar, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Salvadorian national and his legal team have denied the allegations. Filip Timotija, The Hill, 6 Sep. 2025 There has been an increase in Chinese nationals using the Bahamas as a jumping point to illegally enter the United States. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for national
Recent Examples of Synonyms for national
Adjective
  • But lawmakers — both at the state and federal level — have yet to adopt any meaningful guardrails on the usage of artificial intelligence.
    Kyle Ingram, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The Bundys and several others in the vehicles were arrested and charged with multiple federal crimes, including conspiracy to impede federal officers.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Can the president lower the flags for a private citizen?
    James Powel, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The story began moving in the other direction when Kaw Nation citizen James Pepper Henry visited the Sacred Red Rock in the 1990s, vowing one day bring the Stone home to the Kanza people.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Being undocumented in the United States, whether by crossing the border without authorization or overstaying a visa, is typically considered a civil violation rather than a criminal offense.
    Caroll Alvarado, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The Sheriff's Department investigation was announced shortly after the civil suit was filed in May.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As a discipline, advertising is beset by all sorts of weird internal contradictions, although that’s probably to be expected, given the thankless job commercials are tasked with carrying out.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • What sets Leviyev apart from her competitors is the fact that each treatment is handled with utmost compassion, precision, and a belief that external beauty is a result of harmony between internal bodily functions.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The dispute began after the village's tax administrator and attorney Deepak Desai found that Daniels had not paid all of his municipal taxes, according to court documents.
    David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Both Suarez and Pardo have argued that switching to even years will boost Miami’s typically paltry voter turnout while significantly reducing election costs, since municipal races would be included on the general election ballot, rather than the city needing to host its own election each time.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, the network’s president, Rebecca Kutler, issued a public apology.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Josh Snyder reports on how the state LEARNS Act has changed public education, including on the local level.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In Egypt, pro-government news outlets already have trumpeted the case as proof that Soliman was leading a secret Brotherhood cell in America.
    Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • This could all change in the coming months when an inter-government council – representing the ministries of trade, foreign affairs, national defense, intelligence and security and others – makes its decision.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“National.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/national. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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